The medical workers lined up outside the facility as a procession of fire engines and police vehicles slowly moved past, their lights activated as a sort of salute.
"I like all of the support that we get, because really it's the staff that's working really, really hard right now," said Christine Lopez, the hospital's disaster coordinator."
Emergency room nurse Chad Johnson described the gesture as "very moving."
Dr. Jen Ashton on a possible 2nd wave of COVID-19 infections
Dr. Jen Ashton on a possible 2nd wave of COVID-19 infections
"I was getting goosebumps as I was watching them go by," he said.
Along with the Arcadia firefighters, the participants included police officers from Arcadia, Sierra Madre, San Marino, Monrovia and El Monte, and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.
The respect was mutual.
"We work together," Johnson said. "We're a team."